ZACCHAEUS DID WHAT HE HAD TO

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“He entered Jericho and was passing through.  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'” (Luke 19:1-10)

REPENTANCE 8

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and he did whatever he had to in order to see Jesus.  In his case, he ran ahead and climbed a tree because Jesus was soon to pass by that way.  Jesus took notice of Zacchaeus and his heart because Jesus knew the heart of man. 

WHY DID JESUS WANT TO GO TO ZACCHAEUS’ HOME?

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.  But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25)

No one had to tell Jesus what the heart of men was like.  He knew their thoughts and their ways.  While no one else sees the heart of another, Jesus did and still does.  Our Savior didn’t need to be told, and even in Jeremiah, the prophet noted what the heart of man is like: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  BUT Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ heart, and Jesus called out to Zacchaeus who was in the tree.  Zacchaeus HEARD JESUS CALL HIS NAME, PROMPTLY OBEYED JESUS, QUICKLY CAME DOWN FROM THE TREE and RECEIVED JESUS JOYFULLY because Jesus was coming to his house.  Zacchaeus wanted to hear what Jesus had to say and responded to Jesus’ message.  Note these words of the passage, “So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.”  Zacchaeus RECEIVED Jesus joyfully.  Because the message of Jesus made a difference in Zacchaeus’ life, we can see the result of Zacchaeus’ changed life and his repentance.  It took an act of genuine repentance on Zacchaeus’ part.  Zacchaeus not only received Jesus, he also turned from his wicked ways, made restitution giving back more than he took in cheating people, and had a change of thinking.  In that act of repentance and in the act of Zacchaeus changing his wicked ways, Jesus brought salvation to Zacchaeus and his household.  The evidence of Zacchaeus being saved was demonstrated.  How you live before God matters.

REPENTANCE 7Claiming to have a relationship with Christ is more than words.  Having a relationship with Christ means daily communing with Him, and loving Christ means obeying His commands, being faithful and loyal to Him no matter what the cost.  Having a relationship with Christ means having a heart of contrition and repentance, receiving Jesus and His message, turning from your wicked ways, and changing the way you think so that your thoughts are aligned with God’s thoughts.  Having a relationship with Christ is about laying down your will and your ways and walking in the ways of God, following the example Christ has set for you.  Having a relationship with Christ means laying down your life for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, concerning yourself with mercy and justice and faithfulness, and walking humbly before Him.  Saying you follow Christ without your life matching your words means nothing.

While you have breath there is a chance for repentance, changing your ways, and changing the way you think.  Take an example from Zacchaeus and his attitude before Jesus.  Zacchaeus didn’t just speak words of contrition.  His words of contrition were backed up by his actions, changing his ways and turning from his wickedness, gladly receiving the message of Christ.

“Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.’” (Mark 8:34-38)

REPENTANCE 2One day each individual will have to stand before the God the Creator of all things, and each will be called into account for every idle word spoken and every action taken.   So what will you do with what you know about Jesus?  Who do you say Jesus is?  Will you accept or reject Him?  What you do with Christ is a matter of spiritual life and death, and what you do with Christ will determine where you will spend life after death.  Don’t miss out on eternity with God by rejecting the only means of salvation God provided through His Son Jesus Christ.  Choose life with Christ.  Living a life truly sold out in devotion to Christ is worth it.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

 

 

 

The Secret Heart

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” -Psalm 51:6 (ESV)

HEART 3I have fallen in love with this verse because it showed me something I genuinely believe in.  GOD IS TRUTH, AND HE DELIGHTS IN HONESTY BEFORE HIM.  To pour ourselves out before GOD is to come before Him humbly, to come before Him with a heart open ready to hear His voice and really listen to Him, to come before Him with our minds set on Him, to really think about what GOD desires and what He would have us to do, to worship and adore Him “in spirit and in truth.”

Being able to come to God in prayer is a wonderful privilege given to us by Our Creator, and even knowing what we are capable of, He still desires to commune with us.

There is no better place to be than in the presence and in the arms of the Most High God, to be there fully, with our entire being before Him.  One of my favorite examples of this is the woman with the alabaster jar.  She fell at the feet Jesus worshiping Him, and it didn’t matter who or what was surrounding her.  She poured herself out before Christ, and she gave all she had in worship to Him.

Personally, when I ask GOD to restore or renew me, I am reminded of this verse found in Isaiah 30:15, “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength…'”  Those words of that verse have become part of me because I know I find rest and salvation in repentance, and in “quiet confidence” is where I find strength…

And in that place where I meet with Him, I can break open my alabaster box to let Him see all that is there, a place I know that is safe and where I can find healing and restoration and where mercy is granted, grace poured out, joy beyond measure, and more hope found.

And in the “secret heart” that is where God will teach us wisdom and understanding, that place from where emotions, actions, words flow out.  GOD gives wisdom to all who ask, and GOD does so generously.

Let Him teach you wisdom in the secret heart.  Let Him breathe life into you, and restore what is broken, heal what needs mending, and let Him give you times of refreshing through your genuine repentance and quiet confidence.

It is truly worth it all.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30

2018 BRING IT ON

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

PSALM 18VS2

 

And Wow, Yeah, 2017 has been an incredibly awesome year in experiencing the preservation and deliverance of God in my own life, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2018.

With the New Year around the corner, it was time for me to seek out verses as a reminder of what I should always seek God for, a command to always keep at the forefront of my mind, and one that gives me a focal point for praise and worship.  

Here are my theme verses for 2018-

MY LIFE VERSE THEME FOR 2018: 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fulness of joy;  at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11

 

MY PRAYER LIFE THEME FOR 2018:

“This is what the LORD says:  ‘Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls…'”

Jeremiah 6:16

 

MY LIFE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP THEME FOR 2018

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

 

When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.

For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

 

You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.

 

But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

 

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

 

Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!

For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

 

Be gracious to me, O Lord!

See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.

 

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Selah

 

The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.

 

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

 

Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!

Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but men!”

PSALM 9:1-20

May 2018 be a wonderful year for all my neighbors around the globe, and may all of you be abundantly blessed in the new year to come!

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

The GOD Over All Carries You

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

ISAIAH 49vs1516

By HIS love and HIS grace which is all-sufficient, you are sustained and you are engraved in the palm of HIS hand. He has not forgotten you. Behold your GOD who is mighty. HIS recompense is before HIM. HE, as a loving Shepherd, tends to HIS flock, and HE is carrying you.

“Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” -Isaiah 40:9-11

 

 

I Choose His Joy My Strength

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

JOY 1

 

CHOOSE JOY.

I choose joy because I know the GOD who created me has EVERYTHING under HIS control and because the joy of the LORD is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). I choose joy because the GOD of Heaven and Earth is mindful of me (Psalm 8) and has told me I can trust in HIM (Psalm 33:4-6); and because HE is the GOD of the Impossible (Luke 18:27), HIS arm is not shortened (Isaiah 59:1).

Count your blessings and learn to praise HIM. It’s amazing how praising GOD and giving glory to GOD can lift your faith and your countenance and fill you with joy as you readjust your focus to set your sight on GOD. Let the Holy Spirit bring to your remembrance the promises of GOD and all that GOD has done for you.

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

–1 Peter 1:8-9 (Berean Study Bible)

My God Is Able

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” -2 Kings 6:17

IMPOSSIBLE 1

The GOD I serve is able to protect HIS own children.

HE does far BEYOND what we could ever ask or think, and if GOD is for us, who can be against us? Let the enemies come at you! The battle belongs to GOD. You need only to stand your ground and be still before the LORD and watch your enemies destroy themselves. My GOD is the Captain of the Heavenly Hosts, and you’re surrounded by His armies. No need to worry because GOD has this. Open your eyes and see the power and might of the LORD who upholds you with His mighty hand. So be strong and courageous. Go forth with the tasks He has given you, and know you are protected on all sides.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7) and the LORD has made you victorious (Romans 8:37) “and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (1 Samuel 17:47)

The Horrible Crabapple Tree, Plastic Sandwich Bag, & Disgruntled Me

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
APPLE TREE 1On the property of the house I grew up in, there was a Crabapple Tree, and I despised the tree.  As a kid, I blamed the tree for the miserable apples it produced, giving me the displeasure of having to pick up all the apples falling from it onto the ground. I hated picking up those apples, and I most often could be heard shouting, “I hate this!” and “Stupid apples!”
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I braced myself before I started that chore, put a plastic sandwich bag on my hand because of how rotten they were, and then I would begin.  It was the worst chore, but I had only two options to go outside and complete my chore OR be grounded.  I chose to complete my chore.  All I wanted was for the Crabapple Tree to work with me.  I wasn’t asking for a lot when I shouted at the tree, “Work with me!  Not against me.”
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It was an absolutely beautiful tree, but the fruit was rotten.

WHAT KIND OF TREE ARE YOU?

APPLE TREE 3
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Are you a good tree producing good fruit, or are you a bad tree, like the Crabapple Tree in this story, producing rotten fruit?
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Jesus had this to say in Luke 6:43-45, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.  For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.  The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” -John 15:16

As a child of God, you are chosen by Jesus to go forth and bear much fruit.  How you conduct yourself is very important because unbelievers are watching you especially if you are witnessing to them about the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Some will try to push you to the edge to see how you will react, and so there must be a noticeable difference between you and those who are unbelievers.  Your conduct and your speech must line up together.  If the unbeliever cannot tell the difference between you and them, then there is a problem.  All of us are to be lights in this dark world.  If you live like the world while claiming to be a child of God, you are fooling yourself and still living in darkness (1 John 1:1-8).
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In 1 Samuel 9:2, King Saul is described as handsome.  God, however, saw King Saul’s heart.  King Saul did not do the will of God, bearing the fruits of disobedience and being more concerned about the approval of man.
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God tells Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 
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And God is still telling us the same thing today.  God wants us to do His will, and when we do His will out of obedience and devotion to Him, we are producing good fruit.  When we spend time in prayer, the Holy Spirit is working in us, convicting us, changing us.  When we conform our will to the Lord’s will, we will produce good fruit.  The only reason we are able to bear the fruit God wants us to bear is because of His grace and His mercy, and as His Holy Spirit guides and leads us into His Truth, we bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control.
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What fruit are you bearing?  Are your actions and your words lining up together?  Are you walking the walk and not just talking the talk?  Is there a noticeable difference between you and the unbeliever?

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”  (2 Peter 3:9)

 Much Love To You All,
L.A.  Knowles

Thankful Heart

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Praise The Lord

You, O LORD, are glorious, from everlasting to everlasting.  You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.  You are the only Rock, the only Way;  You are Life and Truth. You are Holy, and You are King of kings and Lord of lords.  YOU, O God, are my Shield and my Buckler.  No one compares to You.  I put my hope and trust in You alone, and there is no other foundation except the foundation You have laid.  Thank You for being my Salvation, my Portion forever.  To You, Abba, I offer the sacrifice of praise, giving You thanks because You are worthy of all glory, of all honor, and all praise.

THANKSGIVING 1

 

PSALM 138 – A Psalm of David

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.

All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

 

About That Worship…

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

HEART 1As children of GOD, our lives are to be a living and pleasing sacrifice. Worship to GOD is not just singing a song to HIM because anyone can sing, but a life lived out to HIM that flows out of wholehearted devotion and obedience to GOD from an inward transformation is worship.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

-Romans 12:1

“Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.”

-Romans 6:13

How you live will show whom you serve.

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

Discipleship Is Very Costly

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

LET GO 1

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?  Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”  -Romans 6:1-4

When you seek counsel from God about any situation and when you decide you want to go deeper with the Lord in your walk with Him, BE CAREFUL.  Discipleship is costly.  Be careful what you ask God for.  Be careful when you ask Him to act on your behalf.  He may tell you what you have to give up, what you need to let go of, and He may tell you there is an influence over you that has got to go.

Are you willing to do whatever it takes for you to draw closer to God?  Are you willing to give up whatever God wants you to?  What are you willing to give up?  Do you want God to answer your prayers?  Are you in right relationship with Him?  Are you applying His Word to your life?  Are you spending time in His Word and in His Presence?  Is there sin in your life you haven’t repented of?  Don’t be surprised when you have to take a step of obedience or a giant leap of faith to do what God tells you to do? No one said living for God would be easy, but He gave us the greatest example:  Jesus Christ.  Look to Christ.  He was obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8), and He is our Teacher (Matthew 11:28-30).  Those who do the will of the Father are His family.  <> “Pointing to His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers.  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.'” -Matthew 12:49-50  <>  “Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?'”  -Matthew 16:24-26  <>  “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.” -Mark 8:36

When you abandon it all for Him, you won’t regret it.  He will give you the strength as you step out in faith and obey Him.  Answer His call, and do what He has called you to do.  Be deliberate in your walk with the Lord.  Be determined to do His will, and don’t let anyone or anything stop you from obeying God.  If God before You, who can be against you?

Much love to you all,

L.A. Knowles

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will.  And I know that I will not be put to shame.” -Isaiah 50:7

 

 

Hidden In The Cleft

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

CLEFT 1

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O You are the God in whom I trust,

You’re the God in whom I trust,

And You are the Solid Rock,

Upon which I stand;

I’m hidden in the Cleft,

Your Child I am.

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You prepare a table for me,

In the presence of my enemies,

And they will not triumph over me.

I’m determined to do Your will,.

And drink deeply from the Well.

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I shall trust in You, My Lord and My God,

As I walk this narrow road

The path of victory-

You have placed me on.

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I will trust and obey,

Following Your ways,

Determined to do Your Will,

For it does not matter what man may say.

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I will proclaim,

“You are my God my Rock,”

For I am safe in You,

And You shelter me.

*

 

 

Set Your Face Like Flint Determined To Do His Will!

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Romans 8.31NEVER apologize for obeying what God has told you to do (“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” -Galatians 1:10 and “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” -Micah 6:8).

Always take your complaints and problems to the Lord because He is the one who can guide your steps and give your soul rest (“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'” -Matthew 11:28-30 and “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”).

Keep your mind fixed on the things of God because He keeps you in perfect peace (“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” -Isaiah 26:3-4).

It doesn’t matter what any man or woman says about you, what matters is what God has to say about what you do and say, and it’s more important for you to know God (“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'” -Isaiah 55:8-9 and “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” -Hosea 6:6).

WHAT MATTERS MOST is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14).